DUMBEA is the name of the "commune" of this area. It is called a "town" but is really an area encompassing many small villages (and a couple of larger ones) in its 255 sq.km. It has taken us a while to sort this out as there is little to assist including maps of the area! There are plenty of maps of the centre of Noumea and a basic road map of the island but nothing of other suburbs or towns - probably explains why the shuttle bus driver couldn't find our place on our arrival. There is a tremendous amount of building going on in Noumea generally - we were told that there was no unemployment and the economy was booming due to the world-wide price of nickel.
We spent many hours trying to book a ride back from the Ile des Pins which we are staying at for a night next week. We are flying over as the boat only operates a few days a week at this time of year. Booking on-line kept dropping out, getting an English speaker on the phone proved impossible and when we did go into the "office" yesterday it was closed (of course!). After exchanging a few emails we bit the bullet and drove back into the city centre and ... yes, the office was open and we managed to purchase the tickets (even though we didn't have our passports with us for ID - of course, nobody had told us that either!)
A visit to the Post Office to purchase stamps was fun too - take a number and wait and wait and wait! Still, it gives you time to view the locals up close.
Dumbea is popular as an outdoor activity area with its wild gorges, valleys, forests and mountains coupled with Dumbea River on which to canoe, swim etc. It took us quite a while to find the river (no maps remember and bugger-all signage) but we have been unable to locate where any of the hikes/walks etc start from. Our rudimentary French is improving but not fast enough to really communicate with the locals - most of whom, although very friendly, don't speak English.
Dumbea River
Waiting at the bus stop
Our exchange house is the tall white one in the centre at the base of the hills
There is a tremendous amount of building going on in Noumea generally - we were told that there was no unemployment and the economy was booming due to the world-wide price of nickel.
We spent many hours trying to book a ride back from the Ile des Pins which we are staying at for a night next week. We are flying over as the boat only operates a few days a week at this time of year. Booking on-line kept dropping out, getting an English speaker on the phone proved impossible and when we did go into the "office" yesterday it was closed (of course!). After exchanging a few emails we bit the bullet and drove back into the city centre and ... yes, the office was open and we managed to purchase the tickets (even though we didn't have our passports with us for ID - of course, nobody had told us that either!)
A visit to the Post Office to purchase stamps was fun too - take a number and wait and wait and wait! Still, it gives you time to view the locals up close.